Prince William has called for people to spend less time on their phones, as he told youngster who confessed to scrolling: “The grown ups are guilty of it too.”
The Prince. while visiting the opening of a new youth club in White City, London on Thursday, said “we have got to be better at it”, with people across the generations spending “ages on our phones”.
During the visit to WEST Youth Zone, William turned his hand to a range of non-screen-based activities, shooting a basketball hoop on his fifth attempt and icing a biscuit.
“My wife is the arty one,” he said while biscuit-making.
His wife the Princess of Wales remained at home as she recovers from an abdominal operation. Sources said the engagement, which came days after a row about a digitally-enhanced photograph of the Wales family, was always intended to be solo.
The Prince returned to the topic of mobile phone use twice during the engagement, in which he found himself in the middle of a crowd of excited children and teenagers shaking hands and taking a selfie.
Onlookers described him as being in full dad mode as he spent more than an hour with youngsters, darting off to see a new room or asking his team if he had enough time to try his hand at another sport.
The Prince was visiting WEST, a youth club named by young people and standing for ‘Where Everyone Sticks Together’. In the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, it caters for eight to 19-year-olds, and will soon be open seven days a week with dedicated youth workers on site to support them in developing the “skills and confidence they need to achieve their dreams”.
Facilities include a sports hall, fitness suite, indoor climbing wall, teaching kitchen, performing arts studio and café which will serve hot nutritious meals costing no more than £1.
Arriving at the site, at White City, Prince William was greeted by a line-up of civic dignitaries and congratulated them on their achievement in helping the young club to get off the ground.
“What you’ve done here is incredible,” he said.
“I really like the concept, it ticks all the boxes - it’s fun, safe, educational... It’s great.
Peppering them with questions about what the land was before the building, how they reach the young people to get them in, and what they would be doing otherwise, he said: “It’s a massive achievement.”
The Prince made his way slowly through the building, shaking hands with any passing child or volunteer and asking their names and a little bit about them.
His first stop was around an art table, where a team of young people who had helped design WEST told him about their vision.
“It’s such a great space isn’t it,” he told them. “What do you like most about it?”
As the conversation turned to what they would be doing if they were not at the facility, one young woman told him she would otherwise be “scrolling” her phone.
“How much time do you all spent on your phones a day,” he asked, looking around to joke: “Everyone in this room has got something to be honest about here!”
Hearing that it could be up to 15 hours, William said: “I bet you feel better coming here, not on your phone.”
He went on to praise the organisation, which is open seven days a week, for giving a space to “get your homework done, then your evenings are a bit quieter”.
“Where can you go and be kids and do your stuff outside school?” he asked.
After congratulating the team, he made an impromptu visit to a state-of-the-art gym where he watched school children practising their dead hands and chin ups.
Cheering them on with a small group of youngsters, he joked around with boys who flexed their bicep muscles to show their strength.
William then made his way to the basketball court, where he heard from adult coaches before young players gathered around him to shake hands and chat.
Conversation inevitably turned to football, as he asked them “What do you prefer, basketball or football?” and quizzed them on which teams they support before an in-depth chat about Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool.
“It’s going to be close run in the premiership,” he told them seriously.
Gesturing to the adult staff members who will be on hand at the centre to support them, he added: “Ask these guys all the questions you want to ask please, not just basketball. Talk about anything, they’re here to help you.”
Agreeing to try and shoot a hoop, it was fifth time lucky for the Prince before he finally scored and could celebrate.
“It’s so great that the older age group can help mentor the younger ones,” he added.
Making his way back through the main entrance hall, the younger children giggled as he shook their hands.
Asking their names and hobbies, they played a guessing game to name his favourite football team of Aston Villa, and asked about his children.
“I’ve got three children. George, Charlotte and Louis,” he said, adding of his eight-year-old daughter: “She loves her ballet.”
He then attempted to walk past a pool table before getting drawn in, asking his team if he had time for a few shots.
“Oooo so close!” he cheered, as one of his young opponents missed a shot after he successfully pocketed a ball.
He cheerfully agreed to one selfie before members of staff moved him on for fear of getting swamped.
Upstairs, he was invited to join a biscuit-icing session in a kitchen.
“My wife is the arty one,” he said. “Even my children are artier than me.”
“Do you do any cooking at home,” he asked teenagers, hearing about their pizza and pancakes.
Asked about his favourite biscuit, he plumped for chocolate digestives or a Kitkat.
“Other biscuits are available,” he added, laughing.
Choosing how to decorate his plain biscuit, he wondered aloud about writing a “big W” before settling on “WEST”, the name of the young centre.
“Louis loves sprinkles,” he said, adding them liberally.
He again turned the topic to mobile phone use, asking the room: “Are all of you on your phone quite a lot? Do you know how long you spend on your phones?”
He added “Do you think it’s a good idea to be on your phone all day?”, adding “”Who said yes!?” in mock outrage.
“The grown ups are guilty of it too,” he said. “We have got to be better at it, our phones, too. We spend ages on our phones.”
The Prince then met some of the supporters of the project, thanking them for helping to bring it to life.
Hearing how one young adult credited a youth club she visited at 13 with transforming her life, he said he hoped more people could learn “confidence, conversation, social skills and public speaking” at a young age.
“It’s interesting how many people have had role models they looked up to,” he added. “I think you’re going to have quite a few of them here, which is amazing.
“It’s incredible the energy out there. Everyone, everywhere, needs a place like this.”
The Prince was then cheered by the assembled children and staff, as he returned to the main entrance.
Rather than unveil the plaque himself, he clapped as 12-year-old called Yaya - one of project’s the youth development team - did the honours.
He left slowly, shaking hands again with everyone he came across and referring to some he had met earlier in the day by name.
WEST has been developed by OnSide, a national youth centre charity. It has 14 “youth zones” across the country and seven more due to open, with a mission to empower young people to lead positive, fulfilling lives.
In 2021, the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited OnSide’s Wolverhampton Youth Zone, ‘The Way’.
